Volume One of the Revolutions Trilogy
Doctor Copernicus
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‘Banville is superb . . . there are not many historical novels of which it can be said that they illuminate both the time that forms their subject matter and the time in which they are read: Doctor Copernicus is among the very best of them’ The Economist The work of Nicholas Koppernigk, better known as Copernicus, shattered the medieval view of the universe and led to the formulation of the image of the solar system we know today. Here his life is powerfully evoked in a novel that offers a vivid portrait of a man of painful reticence, haunted by a malevolent brother and baffled by the conspiracies that rage around him and his ideas while he searches for the secret of life. ‘Banville writes novels of complex patterning, with grace, precision and timing’ Guardian ‘With his fastidious wit and exquisite style, John Banville is the heir to Nabokov’ Daily Telegraph ‘A tour de force: a fictional evocation of the great astronomer which is exciting, beautifully written and astonishingly redolent of the late medieval world’ The Times
About the Author
John Banville was born in Wexford, Ireland, in 1945. He is the author of fourteen other novels including The Sea, which won the 2005 Man Booker Prize. He has received a literary award from the Lannan Foundation. He lives in Dublin.
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16 of 16 people found the following review helpful
By taking a rest
HALL OF FAME
Format:Paperback
This is the second work by Mr. John Banville I have read. The first was said by critics to be "the finest" introduction to this Author's work. I have now completed, "Doctor Copernicus", and can state it is immeasurably better. I have also started his work, "Kepler" and it shows all the same talent that Copernicus held.
Mr. Banville has at his command a wide scope of knowledge together with the talent to know when to put it to use. He places the thoughts of other noted thinkers within his story, so that they are seamless, as opposed to sound bite flourishes. The thoughts of Soren, Kierkegaard, Albert Einstein, and Max Planck all join the writings of Dr. Copernicus, all assembled by Mr. Banville, as needed, appropriate, and without pretense.
Science is too often presented in a manner that the layperson is discouraged from pursuing the information. Historical fiction certainly should not be the only source for fact-finding, but when handled as well as this Author presents the material; it's accessible for anyone that is inquisitive. Copernicus's idea of Heliocentricity, the Elliptical Orbits of the Planets, which is dealt with humorously, and all the trials of defining new science are both readable and enjoyable. Particularly well presented was the whole concept of how theories and published material was viewed by the Scientists in the 16th Century. Did Copernicus believe that his explanation was in fact a picture of reality, or that what he documented merely agreed with what he observed? Sounds a bit dry, but the writing is brilliant.
The last 19 pages entitled, "Magnum Miraculum", are some of the best writing I have had the privilege to read.... Read more ›
Mr. Banville has at his command a wide scope of knowledge together with the talent to know when to put it to use. He places the thoughts of other noted thinkers within his story, so that they are seamless, as opposed to sound bite flourishes. The thoughts of Soren, Kierkegaard, Albert Einstein, and Max Planck all join the writings of Dr. Copernicus, all assembled by Mr. Banville, as needed, appropriate, and without pretense.
Science is too often presented in a manner that the layperson is discouraged from pursuing the information. Historical fiction certainly should not be the only source for fact-finding, but when handled as well as this Author presents the material; it's accessible for anyone that is inquisitive. Copernicus's idea of Heliocentricity, the Elliptical Orbits of the Planets, which is dealt with humorously, and all the trials of defining new science are both readable and enjoyable. Particularly well presented was the whole concept of how theories and published material was viewed by the Scientists in the 16th Century. Did Copernicus believe that his explanation was in fact a picture of reality, or that what he documented merely agreed with what he observed? Sounds a bit dry, but the writing is brilliant.
The last 19 pages entitled, "Magnum Miraculum", are some of the best writing I have had the privilege to read.... Read more ›
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
John Banville's 'Dr Copernicus' dramatises the mystery surrounding the life and work of this epoch-making scientist: why did he not publish his demolition of Ptolomey's theory of an Earth-centred cosmos in his own lifetime? Did he hesitate to place the Sun in the centre from fear of the Inquisition or from a realization that he was overturning a view of the world which his civilisation had held dear for 1,500 years? This novel doesn't give any easy answers; it dramatises the conflicts within Copernicus: priest or scientist, Pole or German (or neither), Catholic or Reformist, hetero- or bi-sexual, Medieval or Modern. There are no answers because Copernicus is a man who, in this imaginative reconstruction, stands on the border between all these conditions and is and remains ambiguous and mysterious. John Banville began writing about science and the scientific life in the '70s before the recent avalanche of popular science books. Readers who enjoyed 'Longitude' or its imitators might seek out this more biographic and dramatic approach to the question, 'what is it like to make a major scientific discovery?' But why not forget about all that and plunge into Banville's beautiful and astringent prose. I cannot remember how many times I have read this book, perhaps four or five? In any case, whenever I pick it up again, I appreciate once more the subtleties of its vortex-like plot, the superb characterisation not only of the misanthropic Doctor but also of his awe-struck and envious colleagues, the beauty of its descriptions of the Baltic and Italy. Read it and then read Banville's follow-up 'Kepler' which carries forward the bizarre story of the birth of modern astronomy.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
Copernicus, so famous for his revelations about the workings of the universe, is vividly brought into three dimensions in this post-modern 'faction' biography. Banville's language is so beautiful and so charged it fascinates the reader from the outset, and his story thrillingly develops as the fragile astronomer struggles to be heard and accepted against a tide of scorn and a manipulative family. Although the story of Copernicus can be found elsewhere, this book sculpts him and his surroundings into the deeply feeling and thinking individual we can only hope he was, more than any other account ever could. Banville's novel is constructed to perfection; keeping the reader guessing and hoping with every step. My senses were switched on by this book, and I would recommend it to anyone in search of the definitive meaning of life, love history and language. I loved it!
By N. Housley
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
I know that John Banville expects his readers to do a lot of work but even so I found this a tough and largely unrewarding experience. There is exceptional writing in parts of this book but it is not uniform - some sections are frankly mediocre and there are sensationalist passages which really jar. Most importantly, plot development is slow to say the least and the protagonist's main characteristic is his elusiveness.
I really enjoyed The Book of Evidence but this book was disappointing. And I don't agree at all with the reviewers who say that he captures the period - but then I am a historian who actually works on these decades so my perspective is unusual.
Banville's work reminds me of art house cinema - it can be really wonderful but the straining for effect doesn't always work. I don't think it does here.
I really enjoyed The Book of Evidence but this book was disappointing. And I don't agree at all with the reviewers who say that he captures the period - but then I am a historian who actually works on these decades so my perspective is unusual.
Banville's work reminds me of art house cinema - it can be really wonderful but the straining for effect doesn't always work. I don't think it does here.
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